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W. A. ZEIDLER.

SPIRAL FOR SHELLS.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 24, 191B.

Patented Feb. 15, 1921.. Q

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SPIRAL FOR SHELLS.

APPLICATION FILED APR.24, 191s.

L fifimn Patented Feb. 15,1921.

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Specification of Letters Patent.

0:! NEW YORK, N. Y,

. f epplicsctionfiled Asia at, 1918. Seriallfi'o. 230,545.

Toallwhom z't mat concern: Y W

Be it known th 131, Wrumur A. ZnIDilEa, a citizen of the-United States, residing at New York, in the county of New York and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Spirals for Shells, of which the following is a specification.

- The object of.my-invention is to provide a spiral for'locking the detonating mechanism of an explosive shell, comprising a spirally wound strip of flexible material having a folded over and interlocked outer end portion forming a weight attached to the body of the strip, whereby when the shell is fired the weight is thrown outwardly by centrifugal force and the spiral is unwound and wholly detached from the shell.

The accompanying drawings illustrate a practical embodiment of the invention wherein Figures 1 and 2 are fragmentary sectional views illustrating the operation of rolling down the stock from which the strips are made; Fig. 3 is an illustration of the stock in plan and edge views; Fig. 4 is a combined plan and longitudinal sectional view of the thickened weighted end of the strip before it is dOliblEd upon itself; ig. v 5 is a combined plan and edge view ofthe relatively thin spacer-holding inner end of the strip; Fig. 6 is a detail view of the spacer elements; Fig. 7 is a View of the completed spiral applied to a detonating pin, the latter appearing in section; Fi 8 is a longitudinal sectional View of the weighted, doubled end of the strip; Figs. 9 and 10 are two views of an explosive shell, the first, showing the safety lock or spiral in place on the detonating pinor lunger, and the second showing the latter. freed from the restraint of the spiral.

In Fig. 9. the spiral or safety look, is indicated at 15, in its normal operative position, holding the detonating'pin .16 of the shell 17 in its projected safe position. This spiral preferably is made as follows:

A piece of stock 18, of brass or other material, is by means of rollers 19, 20, or the like, formed with a thickened end portion 21 and a reduced or thinned body portion 22. Inthe illustration this is accomplished by providing acutaway 23 in one of the rollers to leave space for the thickened head portion of the blank (Fig. l), the following roller surfaces coming closely together in its non-firing position. are shown made as semi-cylindrical segthe shell is fired.

(Fig. .2) for the purpose of reducing the remainder of the blank. originally be of the thickness desired for the heavier thick portion ot'the blank, as

shown (Fig. 1), in'which casethe rolling The stock may Patented Feb. is, 1921.

action will simply result in reducing the main body portion of the blank, The blank is then severed longitudinally along: the

lines 24; into strips of the requisite width for the spirals. 1 lots 25 of limited longitudinal extent are punched in the :thicke".

ened ends of the strips and rivet'lugs 26am struck up' from such thickened portions at points farther removed from the ends, said lugs being engaged in the slots and headed or riveted over as shownat 27 in Fig. 8"f01' integrally. holding these end portions-together when they are doubled over and'interlocked upon each other, as indicated in this view. The strips are then coiled into spiral formwith the thinned and more fiexible portion at the inside of the coil and'the thickened weighted portion at the outside of-the coil as'shown in Fig.7. Spacer ele-. ments, such as those indicated at 28, 29, are

usiially employed for performing the actual locking function, these elements being made of hardened steel and being of the requisite length to hold the detonating pin" These elements ments about which the strip is coiled. One of the segments also is shown provided with a pin or key 30, taking into a keyway 3,1!

formed in the shank of the detonating pin', said key projecting through an opening 31" in the inner end portion of the strip and thus in etl'ect keying the inner end of the spiral to the detonating pin so as to cause it to rotate therewith. The strips may be shaped as indicated at 32, 33, at their inner" ends to form seats for the spacer elements, and when the spiral is made up-it may be bound together by a temporary fastener such as the encircling Wire 34..

lVhcn the shell is ready to be placed in the gun this binding may be removed and the spiral willthen be free to unwind-when The weight on the outer end of the spiral strip flies outwardly owing to'the centrifugal force due to the rapid rotation of the shell and. as it forms a part of the strip it does not break away therefrom and positively insures that the strip will unwind properly to detach itself and slot 25 is madelong enough to allow for the unequal movements of the inner and outer layers as the doubled-over end portions are bent to their final curved shape, as indicated in Fig. 8.

VVhile I have shown and described one embodiment of my invention, it is obvious that it is not restricted. thereto, but that it is broad enough to cover all structures that come within the scope of the annexed claims.

I claim:

1. A spiral for locking the detonating mechanism of an explosive shell, comprising a spirally wound strip of flexible material having a folded over and interlocked outer end portion forming a weight attached to the body of the strip, whereby when the shell is fired the weight is thrown outwardly by centrifugal force and the spiral is unwound and wholly detached from the shell.

2. A spiral for locking the detonating mechanism of an explosive shell, comprising a spirally wound strip of flexible material having the outer end portion thereof folded over and interlocked to form an end which is heavier than the balance of the strip.

3. A spiral for locking the detonating mechanism of an explosive shell, comprising a spirally wound strip of flexible material having the outer end portion thereof doubled back upon itself to form an integrally attached weight.

4. A spiral for locking the detonating mechanism of an explosive shell, comprising a spirally wound strip of flexible material having the outer end portion thereof doubled back upon itself to form an integrally attached, weight and means for securing together said doubled-overweight-form ing end portions of the strip.

5. A spiral for locking the detonating mechanism of an explosive shell, comprising a spirally wound strip of flexible material having the outer doubled back upon itself to form an inte grally attached weight and a rivet fastening said doubled-over ortions together and formed integrally with one of said portions.

6. A spiral for locking the detonating mechanism of an explosive shell, comprising a spirally wound strip of flexible material having the outer end portion thereof doubled back upon itself to form an inteend portion thereof grally attached weight, one of said doubledover portions having a longitudinal slot therein and a rivet stud on the other of said portions engaged in said slot.

7. spiral for locking the detonating mechanism of an-explosive shell,-comprising. a spirally wound strip of flexible material. having anouter end portion thereof doubled back upon itself to form an integrally attached weight, the inner one of said. doubled-over, portions having an integralupstanding rivet lug and the outer of said portions having a longitudinal slot receiving mechanism of an explosive shell, comprisin a spirally wound strip of flexible materia having a heavier portion at the outer end thereof doubled back upon itself and an integral rivet struck u from one of said relatively thick double -over end portions engaged with the other doubled'over thick portion.

In testimony whereof I aflix in Si nature.

. WILLIAM A. Z ID JER- 

